{"id":328151,"date":"2025-08-15T12:05:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T16:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/?p=328151"},"modified":"2025-11-13T16:19:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:19:01","slug":"breastfeeding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/blog\/breastfeeding\/","title":{"rendered":"Breastfeeding support is a public health imperative \u2014 and a smart investment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In her latest blog, Dr. Leslie Saltzman \u2014 Chief Product Officer at Ovia Health and Medical Discipline Director, Consumer Health at Labcorp <\/em>\u2014 explains how Ovia\u2019s personalized care and digital support tools boost breastfeeding success, protect maternal and infant health, lower costs, and support public health.<\/em>

Breastfeeding offers powerful, lifelong benefits \u2014 for both babies and mothers. For infants, it lowers the risk of serious health conditions like obesity, type 1 diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).\u00b9 For mothers, it\u2019s linked to reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.\u00b9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no surprise, then, that many new mothers want to breastfeed. But wanting to breastfeed is one thing \u2014 being able to is another. Breastfeeding is deeply personal \u2014 and often harder than anyone expects. In the U.S., 83% of mothers start out breastfeeding but only 25% are still exclusively breastfeeding at six months\u00b9\u2014falling well short of the 42% national target.2<\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This drop-off isn\u2019t due to a lack of motivation. It\u2019s due to a lack of support. Families face real, systemic barriers: limited access to lactation consultants, workplace and cultural pressures, and confusing or inaccessible insurance benefits.1<\/sup> Without timely, consistent help, even the most committed parents can struggle to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the consequences are far-reaching. Babies miss out on critical protections, mothers lose important health gains, and health plans face higher costs. Research shows that if more families met breastfeeding recommendations, the U.S. could save $13 billion annually and prevent thousands of unnecessary deaths.4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breastfeeding isn\u2019t just a personal milestone. It\u2019s a public health priority \u2014 and one we all have a role in advancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ovia closes gaps in breastfeeding disparities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Support is the solution. When mothers receive the right care at the right time \u2014 care that\u2019s consistent, accessible, and personalized \u2014 they\u2019re far more likely to reach their breastfeeding goals. That\u2019s where Ovia comes in. We support members through every stage of their journey \u2014 from early pregnancy through postpartum \u2014 with solutions that are deeply personalized and inclusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our approach for breastfeeding support:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n